The essence of sailmaking is to produce a durable sail that will perform to the highest degree but be as light as possible.

Conventional sailmaking, by which I mean sails that are built up from a series of panels, are relatively heavy. The stronger the winds, and the more extreme the weather to be encountered, the heavier they get. In order to mitigate this, panel layouts were changed to a radial style and, with suitable fabrics, better able to manage the loads in the sail. This panel configuration also enabled different weights of fabric to be used, keeping the heaviest in the high load areas. This also had the benefit of reducing the overall weight but did mean that the sails were overbuilt in some places or under in others. A compromise that is not very scientific, particularly when you consider the level of sophistication used in the design and production of the modern sail. The alternative and more scientific approach is the membrane or string sail. These are sails built from a matrix of fibres laid out in a pattern to carry the loads in the sail and sandwiched between layers of Mylar film or taffeta. The individual fibres can be varied in their weight and density to match the loads in any part of the sail. This produces a very much lighter sail that is also much better at withstanding the loads imposed on the sail when in use.

Since the ending of the various patents preventing the manufacture of load path sails there has been an “explosion” in the number and variety of such sails. Until recently these sails have been the preserve of the large multinational sail lofts due to the expense involved in the development of the systems required to produce this type of sail.

Now however that has all changed. During the last five years, the Italian company FMG has pioneered a new breed of membrane called Spidertech™ which is available to your local sailmaker anywhere. Incorporating special bonding techniques the problems of the earlier laminate sails have been virtually eliminated. No longer are these membrane sails the preserve of the large lofts.

It is no longer necessary to put up with the compromise in sail construction that has been the case until now. Both racing and cruiser sailors can benefit from the latest developments in sailmaking, taking advantage of a lighter better engineered product.

This sophisticated sailmaking technology is now available to all sailors in the UK and France through authorized service centers.

In the UK Automated Cutting Services is the authorised Spidertech™ Service center, designer and stockist of Spidertech™ Blueline and Onedesign, Please contact them or your local sailmaker for more details.

Automated Cutting Services Ltd
18 Mitchell Close
Segensworth East
Fareham
Hants, UK
PO15 5SE
Tel: +44 01489 579144
Fax: +44 01489 575325
Email: info@automatedcutting.co.uk

In France RCX Découpe is the authorised Spidertech™ Service center, designer and stockist of Spidertech™ Blueline and Onedesign, Please contact them or your local sailmaker for more details.

RCX Découpe
8, rue de la Scierie
B.P. 3055
17031 LA ROCHELLE Cedex 1
Tel. : +33 (0) 5 46 44 74 83
Fax : +33 (0) 5 46 44 75 23
Email: rcx@wanadoo.fr